Contest Update Issues

Contester's Rate Sheet for July 27, 2005

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Contester's Rate Sheet
27 July 2005
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Edited by Ward Silver N0AX
SUMMARY
o IOTA and NAQP HF Contests
o Shoot the Moon - the ARRL EME Contest and Google Moon
o Ten-Tec Releases the ORION II HF transceiver
o Another Dummies Radio Book by N0AX
o KB0VVT Wins the 2005 Hiram Percy Maxim Award
o ARRL DX Phone Web Results Released
o Propagation Tutorial by NA5N
o I Hate Surprises
BULLETINS
o Single-Operator Assisted categories have been added to the ARRL EME
Contest and will be in effect for the 2005 Contest. More information
is available in the "News and Press Releases" section below.
BUSTED QSOS
o A golden issue last time!
ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICES FOR 27 JULY TO 9 AUGUST 2005
Logs are due for the following contests:
July 27 - NAQCC 80/40 Straight Key/Bug Sprint, email logs to:
yoel@arm-tek.net, paper logs and diskettes to: Tom Mitchell, KB3LFC,
RD6 Box 122A, Kittanning, PA 16201, USA, find rules at:
http://www.arm-tek.net/~yoel/sprint200507.html.
July 30 - North American QSO Party, RTTY (Jul), email logs to:
rttynaqp@ncjweb.com, Upload log at:
http://www.ncjweb.com/naqplogsubmit.php, paper logs and diskettes to:
Shelby Summerville, K4WW, 6506 Lantana Ct., Louisville, KY
40229-1544, USA, find rules at: http://www.ncjweb.com/naqprules.php.
July 31 - All Asian DX Contest, CW, email logs to: aacw@jarl.or.jp,
paper logs and diskettes to: JARL, All Asian DX Contest, CW,
170-8073, Japan, find rules at:
http://www.jarl.or.jp/English/4_Library/A-4-3_Contests/2005AA_Rule.htm.
July 31 - Original QRP Contest, email logs to: oqrpc@qrpcc.de, paper
logs and diskettes to: Dr. Hartmut Weber, DJ7ST, Schlesierweg 13,
D-38228 Salzgitter, Germany, find rules at:
http://www.qrpcc.de/contestrules/oqrpr.html.
July 31 - RAC Canada Day Contest, email logs to: canadaday@rac.ca,
paper logs and diskettes to: Radio Amateurs of Canada, 720 Belfast
Road, Suite 217, Ottawa, Ontario K1G 0Z5, Canada, find rules at:
http://www.rac.ca/downloads/canadadayrules2005.pdf.
July 31 - Venezuelan Ind. Day Contest, email logs to:
contestyv@cantv.net, paper logs and diskettes to: Radio Club
Venezolano, Concurso Independencia de Venezuela, PO Box 2285, Caracas
1010-A, Venezuela, find rules at:
http://www.radioclubvenezolano.org/concurso.htm.
July 31 - VOLTA WW RTTY Contest, email logs to: log@contestvolta.it,
paper logs and diskettes to: Francesco Di Michele, I2DMI, PO Box 55,
22063 Cantu, Italy, find rules at:
http://www.contestvolta.com/rules2.htm.
August 1 - SMIRK Contest, email logs to: contest@smirk.org, paper
logs and diskettes to: Dale Richardson, AA5XE, 214 Palo Verde Dr.,
Kerrville, TX 78028, USA, find rules at:
http://www.smirk.org/rules.htm.
August 2 - DARC 10-Meter Digital Contest (Jul), email logs to:
df5bx@darc.de, paper logs and diskettes to: Werner Ludwig, DF5BX, PO
Box 1270, 49110 Georgsmarienhuette, Germany, find rules at:
http://www.darc.de/referate/ukw-funksport/sonder/tei-digi.htm.
August 2 - RSGB Low Power Field Day, email logs to:
lowpower.logs@rsgbhfcc.org, paper logs and diskettes to: RSGB G3UFY,
77 Bensham Manor Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 7AF, England, find
rules at: http://www.contesting.co.uk/hfcc/rules/rqrp.shtml.
August 4 - MI QRP July 4th CW Sprint, email logs to: n8cqa@arrl.net,
paper logs and diskettes to: L.T. Switzer, N8CQA, 427 Jeffrey Avenue,
Royal Oak, MI 48073-2521, USA, find rules at:
http://www.qsl.net/miqrpclub/contest.html.
August 5 - VK/Trans-Tasman 160m Contest, Phone, email logs to:
vktasman@hotmail.com, paper logs and diskettes to: VK/trans-Tasman
Contest, 28 Crampton Crescent, Rosanna, VIC 3084, Australia, find
rules at: http://home.iprimus.com.au/vktasman/rules.htm.
August 8 - FISTS Summer Sprint, email logs to: W8PIG@yahoo.com, paper
logs and diskettes to: Dan Shepherd, N8IE, 1900 Pittsfield St,
Kettering, Oh 45420, USA, find rules at:
http://www.fists.org/sprints.html.
August 9 - ARCI Summer Homebrew Sprint, email logs to:
va3jff@yahoo.ca, paper logs and diskettes to: ARCI Summer Homebrew
Spriint, c/o Jeff Hetherington, VA3JFF, 139 Elizabeth St W., Welland,
Ontario L3C 4M3, Canada, find rules at:
http://www.qrparci.org/contest.htm.
August 9 - IARU HF World Championship, email logs to:
IARUHF@iaru.org, paper logs and diskettes to: IARU HF Championship,
IARU International Secretariat, Box 310905, Newington, CT 06111, USA,
find rules at: http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2005/iaru.html.
The following contests are scheduled:
Note that the following abbreviations are used to condense the
contest rules summaries:
SO - Single-Op; M2 - Multi-Op - 2 Transmitters; MO - Multi-Op; MS -
Multi-Op, Single Transmitter; MM - Multi-Op, Multiple Transmitters;
AB - All Band; SB - Single Band; S/P/C - State/Province/DXCC Entity;
HP - High Power; LP - Low Power; Entity - DXCC Entity
HF CONTESTS
Flight of the Bumblebees - CW - sponsored by the Adventure Radio
Society, 1700Z - 2100Z Jul 31. Bumblebees are low power portable
stations that walk, bike, or boat to their sites and sign "/BB" after
their calls. Frequencies (MHz): 7.040, 14.060, 21.060, 28.060.
Exchange: RST, S/P/C, and Bumblebee Number or power (5 watts
maximum). Score: QSOs x number of different Bumblebees contacted x 3.
For more information:
http://www.arsqrp.com/ars/pages/bumblebees/bb_rules.html. Logs due 8
Aug via the ARS Web site.
RSGB Islands-On-The-Air Contest - CW/SSB - sponsored by the RSGB from
1200Z Jul 30 - 1200Z Jul 31. Frequencies: 80-10 meters. Categories:
SOAB and SOAB-Assisted (SSB/CW/Mixed, 12 & 24 hour entries,
High/Low/QRP Power), MS. All categories Island or World (non-Island).
Exchange: RS(T) and serial number, Island stations add IOTA reference
number. QSO Points: Contacts with own IOTA - 3 pts, with other IOTA -
15 pts, non-island - 3 pts. Score: QSO points x IOTA refs, counted
once per band and mode. For more information:
http://www.contesting.co.uk/hfcc/iota.shtml. Logs due Sep 1 to
iota.logs@rsgbhfcc.org or RSGB IOTA Contest, PO Box 9, Potters Bar,
Herts EN6 3RH, England.
North American QSO Party - CW, sponsored by the National Contest
Journal, 1800Z Aug 6 - 0600Z Aug 7. Frequencies: 160 - 10-meters.
Categories: SOAB and M2, 100 W power limit, operate a maximum of 10
hours (off times must be at least 30 min and M2 entries may operate
the entire contest). Exchange: Name and S/P/C. Score: QSOs X States +
Province + NA DXCC countries (count each once per band). For
information: http://www.ncjweb.com/naqprules.php. Logs due 14 days
after the contest via the Web form at
http://www.ncjweb.com/naqplogsubmit.php, via email to
cwnaqp@ncjweb.com (there is a Web-to-Cabrillo converter link on the
rules page) or Bruce Horn, WA7BNM, 4225 Farmdale Avenue, Studio City,
CA 91604.
SARL HF DX Contest--SSB, sponsored by the Bloemfontein Radio Amateur
Club from 1230Z -- 1630Z Aug 7 (CW is Aug 28). Frequencies: 80 -- 20
meters. Categories: SOAB, MS. Exchange: RS(T) + serial number. QSO
Points: SSB -- 1 pt, CW -- 2 pts. Total score: QSO points + ZS call
areas and South African countries (see Web site). For more
information:
http://www.sarl.org.za/public/contests/contestrules.asp#HFCWPHONE.
Logs due 14 days after the contest to zs4bs@netactive.co.za or PO Box
12104, Brandhof 9324, Republic of South Africa.
Ten-Ten International Summer Phone QSO Party -- sponsored by Ten-Ten
International, 0001Z Aug 6 - 2359Z Aug 7, 10-meters only. Exchange:
call, name, state and 10-10 number (if available). QSO Points:
nonmembers - 1 pt, members - 2 pts. Total score: sum of QSO points.
For more information: http://www.ten-ten.org/. Logs due Aug 22 to
tentencontest@alltel.net or Steve Rasmussen N0WY, 312 N 6th Street,
Plattsmouth, NE 68048-1302.
European HF Championship - CW/SSB, sponsored by the Slovenian Contest
Club, from 1200Z - 2359Z Aug 6. EU to EU contacts only. Frequencies:
160-10 meters. Categories: SOAB only - CW, SSB, and Mixed Modes, HP
and LP. Exchange: RS(T) and last two digits of first year licensed.
Score: QSOs x number of different years received, counted once per
band. For more information: http://lea.hamradio.si/~scc/euhfc.html.
Logs due Aug 31 to euhfc@hamradio.si (Cabrillo format preferred) or
Slovenia Contest Club, Saveljska 50, 1113 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
TARA "Grid Dip" Contest--PSK and RTTY, sponsored by Troy ARA from
0000Z -- 2400Z Aug 6. Frequencies: 80-6 meters, work stations once
per band, work Rovers again from new locators. Categories: SOAB only
- QRP (<5W), LP (<20W or RTTY <100W), HP (100W max. or RTTY legal
limit) Rover (50W max. or RTTY legal limit) operating from more than
one Grid Locator, SWL. Exchange: Name and 4-digit grid locator. QSO
Points: 1 pt/QSO. Total score: QSO points x Grid Locators counted
once per band. For more information:
http://www.n2ty.org/seasons/tara_grid_rules.html. Scores due 3 Sep
via online submission form at
http://www.n2ty.org/seasons/tara_grid_score.html.
National Lighthouse-Lightship Weekend - all modes, sponsored by the
Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society from 0001Z Aug 6 - 2359Z Aug 7.
Frequencies (MHz): CW -- 1.830, 3.530, 7.030, 14.030, 21.030, 28.030;
SSB -- 1.970, 3.970, 7.270, 14.270, 21.370, 28.370. Exchange: Serial
number or ARLHS member or lighthouse number, name, and S/P/C. For
more information: http://arlhs.com/. Logs due 31 Aug to Dave Ruch,
NF0J, PO Box 20696, Bloomington, MN 55420-0696.
VHF+ CONTESTS
ARRL UHF Contest, 1800Z Aug 6 -1800Z Aug 7. Frequencies: all amateur
bands above 222 MHz. Categories: SO-LP, SO-HP, Rover, MO. Exchange:
Grid Square (signal report is optional). QSO Points: 222 and 432 MHz
- 3 pts, 902 and 1296 MHz - 6 pts, 12 pts on all higher bands. Score:
QSO Points x Grid Squares (total from all bands). Rovers add one
additional multiplier for each grid square activated. For more
information: http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2005/uhf.html. Logs
due Sep 7 by email to augustuhf@arrl.org or by mail to August UHF
Contest, ARRL, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111, USA.
NEWS AND PRESS RELEASES
The Field Day Logs Received list is complete - be sure yours is
listed! Gavels for the club competitions in the 2004-2005 contest
season have been shipped. More than 2000 email submissions were
received for Field Day and many were also submitted via the Web
applet. (Thanks, Dan N1ND)
The ARRL Program and Services Committee approved the addition of
Single Operator Assisted categories for the ARRL International EME
Competition. The new categories will be play for the upcoming 2005
Contest, even though they were not approved in time to make the
contest announcement in the August issue of QST. This means each of
the Single Operator Categories - Multiband entries on bands 50 MHz
through 1296 MHz; Multiband entries on bands 2304 MHz and Up;
Multiband 50 MHz and Up; and Single-band entries on each band - now
have both Unassisted and Assisted categories available for
participants. Certificates will be awarded for the new categories.
(Thanks, Dan N1ND)
Ten-Tec has announced the introduction of the Orion II HF transceiver
with some significant new features, including a color LCD on the
front panel, new roofing filters, and a faster processor to improve
front panel and control interface response. There are lots of other
enhancements asked for by hams. You can check out the Orion II at
http://radio.tentec.com/Amateur.
Your editor also has another Dummies book title to his credit!
"Two-Way Radios and Scanners for Dummies" hit the shelves this week
and is available in stores that carry the "for Dummies" titles. This
one covers all of the private radio services - FRS/GMRS, CB, Marine,
short wave - and also shows how to use a modern scanner to receive
all of the VHF and UHF channels. The book is described at
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesTitle/productCd-0764595822.html.
It provides how-to information for new radio users and provides links
to a lot of useful reference information. As you might surmise,
there's a chapter on ham radio that would act as a nice introduction
to our side of the radio street.
Many hams appreciate a little math now and then. Here is a story
about a project to determine the most beautiful equations in all of
mathematics. My favorite made the list...did yours? Check it out at
http://physicsweb.org/articles/world/17/10/2/1#pwpov2_10-04.
Young contesters are receiving awards like crazy. This year's Hiram
Percy Maxim Award winner is a familiar call, Rebecca KB0VVT. The
complete story is available at
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/07/20/3/?nc=1. Congratulations,
Rebecca! "Why, I can remember when she was handing out Kid's Day
QSOs on 20-meters!" (OK, steady now, Grandpa...) See? Contesting is
Good For You!
Speaking of Hiram Percy Maxim, his career as a successful inventor is
overshadowed in amateur circles by being a founder of the ARRL. One
of his inventions was the firearm silencer - possibly the first noise
blanker? Learn more about Hiram's "Dr. Shush" at
http://guns.connect.fi/gow/silencer.html. Wouldn't "Dr. Shush" be a
great brand name for a DSP noise reduction accessory? (Thanks, Matt
WV1K)
Contesters, DXers and users of ACOM amplifiers are aware that Krassy
K1LZ took a major tumble while setting up towers on Sable Island.
Medical and evacuation expenses have been high, so a fund has been
set up to assist in defraying them. You may make contributions to the
fund by sending Jim W1LLU a check payable to the Krassy Fund which
will be deposited to the account set up for this purpose at the
Institution for Savings in Newburyport (MA). His mailing address is
Jim McCobb, 65 Coffin Street, W. Newbury, MA 01985 or you may send
the money to via PayPal (in cash, no Credit Card payments please) at
W1LLU@Verizon.net. The fund will stop accepting donations on 12
August. (Thanks, Jim K1IR)
The IEEE "Antennas and Propagtion" magazine had a couple of good
articles for hams in itsApril issue. "Performance of a Small Loop
Antenna in the 3-10 MHz Band" by Boswell, Tyler, and White measured Q
to validate the use of a standard model for the antenna. General
conclusions are that radiation efficiency is quite low (0.25% at 3.6
MHz improving to 18% at 10.1 MHz), but that the antennas may be
effective in some applications. (just not in breaking 80-meter
long-path pileups) For those of you outgrowing your four-squares,
you'll want to read "Electrically Steerable Passive Array Radiator
Antennas" by Kawakami and Ohira.
Jack Ganssle is a monthly columnist for "Embedded Systems" magazine
with an extensive hands-on background in product development. Perhaps
not just coincidentally, he is also a ham (N3ALO) with a keen sense
of the practical. His 15 June column, "Turn a kid on to embedded
systems" speaks directly to the need to get kids interested in
"opening the hood" of electronics and not just be device users. Ham
radio gets a pretty good plug and you can read the column on-line at
http://www.embedded.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=164303543.
Elecraft founder Wayne Burdick N6KR also has a nice feature article
about his career in electronics and its close association with ham
radio and electronic experimenting. It's featured in the Electronic
Design on-line version at
http://www.elecdesign.com/Articles/Index.cfm?AD=1&ArticleID=10751.
(Thanks, Steve KD1JV)
Aficionados of antique radio need to have this site bookmarked for
their browser and make regular visits: http://uv201.com/index.html.
If you scroll down below the broadcast and Navy photos there are lots
of old ham stations to enjoy! (Thanks, Matt WV1K)
You may have taken a spin with Google's new mapping service at
http://maps.google.com/. Are you aware that our nearest neighbor in
the solar system is also represented at http://moon.google.com/? A
section of the lunar surface with the landing sites of all the Apollo
missions can be viewed in detail - just make sure to zoom all the way
in. (Thanks, Bob N6TV)
While visiting Brasil for WRTC2006, we will meet contesters from all
over the world. Although we can exchange "59 Zone 3" or "5NN AA",
finding a common lingo can be a little harder. The Lonely Planet
Western Europe phrase book shows us how to say...
Do you speak...? - Fala - FAH-lah
English - Ingles - ing-GLESH
French - Frances - fray-SESH
German - Alemao - ah-l'MAO
Italian - Italiano - ee-tah-lee-AH-nu
Spanish - Espanhol - shpa-NYOHL
RESULTS AND RECORDS
Your editor has finally doffed the green eyeshade and pushed himself
away from the computer, having finished the 2005 ARRL DX Phone
results writeup. ARRL members will find it at
http://www.arrl.org/contests/results/. This year's offering has a
complete set of divisional writeups, three nifty sidebars by WM5R,
ON5ZO, and K9LA, and 23 figures to dazzle the eye and brain. Enjoy!
The report and full results for the 2004 Oceania DX Contest are now
available for viewing on-line at http://www.oceaniadxcontest.com/.
Despite poorer conditions, participation was up substantially! Put
the 2005 contest on your October calendars and put some of those
distant stations in your log. (Thanks, Oceania DX Committee and Carl
K9LA)
TECHNICAL
This is a neat homebuilt tool - the hot air soldering/desoldering
pencil! You can find this project (and many other neat things) at
http://www.dansworkshop.com/SMT%20Hot%20Air%20Pencil.shtml. (Thanks,
Mike KL7R)
Take a look at the QRP ARCI Web site's Technical/Projects section
(http://www.qrparci.org/) for a superb tutorial on 'Solar Activity &
HF Propagation' written by Paul Harden NA5N. You'll need to register
on the Web site (at no cost) and log in first. (Thanks, Steve G4GXL)
If you are looking for a circuit for that special need, you could do
considerably worse than logging on to Discover Circuits at
http://www.discovercircuits.com/. The site has more than 11,000
circuits (!) and a number of active forums, plus numerous useful
links.
Bob K6KL contributes the following method to salvage surface-mount
parts from a PC board. "Put a shallow pan (larger than the PC board)
into the kitchen oven set for 450 degrees. Set the board in the pan.
Wait until the oven comes up to temp. Then wait 10 more minutes.
Reach in and pick up the board with an insulating glove. Rap the
board sharply on its edge in the pan. All the SM parts will fall into
the pan. Almost all surface-mount parts can tolerate such
temperatures for at least an hour without damage." Watch out for
solder splatters and don't use the good cooking pans, 'cause they
won't be after you're done!
A correspondent on the QRP reflector was having trouble figuring out
how to get a wire up between two trees with lots of trees in the
middle. Starting from the point at which a pulley and halyard are up
in the trees that will support the wire and the wire is attached to
the halyards at each end but on the ground, the two best idea offered
in response was as follows. Loop a light rope over the middle of the
wire. Holding both ends of the rope, pull the wire toward you and
away from the obstructing tree. If you're lucky, you can get it far
enough out to clear the obstacle (the "bad" tree) as a helper pulls
the wire up at the appropriate time. The rope will slide along the
wire, so you can adjust your angle for pulling to help clear the
obstacle. A second rope over the wire (and helper) will give you more
flexibility. Repeat for each obstacle or work your way up for
multiple obstacles. Pack a lunch. (Thanks, Art K3KU)
For those seeking a resistor assortment, Don W3FPR recommends the
assortments offered by DigiKey (http://www.digikey.com/) They offer
1/8-, ¼, and ½-watt assortments with a wide range of values at a cost
of around 4 cents per resistor. Replacements can be ordered in
quantity when you run low, too.
CONVERSATION
I Hate Surprises
Probably the most upset I ever get is when I find my supposedly
reasonable assumptions turned topsy-turvy (and for readers in the
Southern Hemisphere, turvy-topsy) by events or conditions not of my
own making. Argggh! For example, on a family driving vacation - no,
that's not an oxymoron - we headed down I-10 to Baker from Nevada to
enter Death Valley from the south. 100 miles to Baker across the
sun-baked desert and when we got there...SURPRISE...the road was
closed for a Fun Run from Baker to Death Valley! Never mind how that
could possibly be termed a Fun Run - we were hosed, to use the
technical term. And mad. No notice was posted anywhere (that we saw)
and it was either go back or go home. It never occurred to me that I
could (and should) have checked that road's status, after all, it was
a big red line on the map, right? And therein lies the problem.
Over the past year or so, I've had conversations of various
intensities with various contesters and contest administrators about
rules, penalties, log checking and the consequences and expectations
thereof. These are often sparked by someone getting an unpleasant
surprise, such as "What the h-e-double-hockey-stick happened to my
score!" There is much vigorous email, justified and unjustified, and
rarely does anyone go home happy.
What to do? As an engineer, my natural inclination is to "fix" the
problem. There are often easily identified things to change.
Sometimes the problem is an actual error - in behavior or in the
rules of the game. More often, the problem lies in misunderstanding
or assumptions. These are more difficult problems to fix because they
require education of one or both parties. Also speaking as an
engineer, I have observed that very many problems are a result of
inadequate statement or understanding of "the requirements."
When asked what was complementary to truth, the physicist Neils Bohr
replied, "Clarity." A trap into which I often stumble is trying to
fix the problem by ever-increasing precision in writing rules and
procedures. This leads to rules that become voluminous to the point
of incomprehensibility, not unlike many legal documents and
contracts. That wouldn't be good for contesting, so let's not go
there.
After all, with the exception of the ARRL, all contest administrators
and adjudicators are volunteers. Paid or unpaid, none of them have
the resources to spend a lot of time monkeying with the language of
the rules. Furthermore, the responsibility does not fall entirely on
the shoulders of the admins. It is incumbent on the participants, as
well, to do their best to understand and comply with the rules and
procedures.
Contesting, as a unique sport that relies upon cooperation like no
other, is a community effort. And like any successful group effort,
requires a certain amount of shared understanding. In one extended
conversation, a common denominator was reached when the question was
posed, "What is the magic sentence that makes the problem go away?"
Enlightenment strikes. Let's start where the rubber meets the road -
the contest participant.
Magic Sentence #0 - Read the rules and expect to be held accountable
for operating according to them. I think we can agree that this would
prevent quite a few surprises.
when was the last time you actually read the rules, start to finish,
for a contest that you entered? If I had prudently checked ahead, I
wouldn't have gotten turned around out there in the desert.
Magic Sentence #1 - If you don't understand the rules, the process of
checking your operation, or resulting penalties, ask the admin or
read what the admin has already published about the contest. You
might not be the first one to ask that question! This will cure a
bunch of the remaining problems.
Yes, I realize that there is a group out there that can't or won't
read the rules. I also realize that there are contest weasels that
will immediately attempt to undermine that information, once made
public. Oh well, humans are involved, so what else is new?
Here the baton passes squarely to the administrators and sponsors.
When a particular rule, process, or penalty continues to be
mis-interpreted or mis-understood by well-intentioned entrants, it
behooves the contest sponsor to address that issue. The admin can
make an unambiguous ruling. The contest sponsor or steering committee
can write a clarification or an FAQ. A group of interested parties
can get together and publish the necessary information and publish it
independently. It's even perfectly OK for the contest admin to say
that answering the question would compromise the contest judging.
These are all legitimate responses...but there needs to be a
response. This does not include doing the participant's homework for
them.
Contest participants must inform themselves about the rules and
procedures, including log formatting and submittal, then do their
best to comply. Contest admins must answer reasonable questions and
publish reasonably clear rules and procedures, including penalties
and reporting. Between contests, we can debate about the sport, but
it has to be with a spirit of mutual respect.
Contesting is supposed to be fun. If you make a good faith effort to
play fair and be reasonable, but are unpleasantly surprised, the fun
rapidly drains out of the game. We all need to work together to keep
the game fun, particularly for newcomers that are the most likely to
get those unpleasant surprises and who are the easiest to discourage
from making a repeat appearance. By working together to improve the
sport, we will keep it healthy and growing.
73, Ward N0AX
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Contester's Rate Sheet wishes to acknowledge information from the
following sources:
WA7BNM's Contest Calendar Web page -
http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal
ARRL Contest page - http://www.arrl.org/contests
SM3CER's Web site - http://www.sk3bg.se/contest